Hello darkness, my old friend. Can’t say that I am happy to see you again. But just like last week, we have suffered another humiliating defeat, but we will not seek comfort, because Coach Tomlin unleashes hell in December. Sadly, we now realize that has already happened, and we are all unsuspecting victims.

The Steelers received quite the reality check on Thursday night against a Patriots team that was fresh off a shutout home loss to the Los Angeles Chargers a mere four days prior. Sometimes a defeat is more than just another loss, and this situation definitely qualifies.

The Steelers became the first team with a winning record to ever lose consecutive games to opponents who entered the contests at least 8 games under .500, in NFL history! To make matters worse, they were both home games. For a Steelers team with plenty left to fight for, against opponents jockeying for draft positioning. Setting a NFL record for futility has to be considered rock bottom, wouldn’t you think.

To fully appreciate this scenario, we must step back and take in the big picture. The Steelers currently reside in a fantasy land, as they refuse to acknowledge that a rebuild is necessary. They steadfastly refuse to even utter the words. That remains a huge stumbling block in my opinion, because you can’t properly address a problem if you are incapable of admitting you have one. Trust me, folks, the Steelers have plenty of problems.

I have been getting plenty of negative feedback from individuals who refuse to accept reality when it comes to the Steelers. Especially when I point out the myriad of problems within the organization. I fully realize the reasoning behind the pushback isn’t personal, it’s just easier than accepting the truth.

It easier to blame one or two individuals for all the Steelers problems and deficiencies, because that would make this situation so much easier to fix. Regrettably, there is no quick fix when it comes to the Steelers. Issues are scattered throughout the franchise, and on every level.

Tough decisions lie ahead, and accountability must be taken. Honest evaluation is required, including self evaluation. There is so much more to say, but we will have another long offseason to cover all that needs to be said.

Now it’s time for some more of my random thoughts and observations on the Steelers.

• Warning! ⚠️  I am about to blow some fragile minds with this statement: Winning isn’t everything. I have been trying to point that out all season, with nothing but resistance from the peanut gallery. This Steelers squad just doesn’t pass the eye test. Statistically speaking, this team has no business possessing a winning record at the moment. Every aspect of their performance this season screams bottom dweller, not playoff contenders. The results of the past couple of games for the Steelers haven’t been an aberration, rather a revelation of who they truly are.
• I keep hearing the uninformed among us suggest you can no longer blame Matt Canada for the Steelers offensive futility. That is totally and blatantly inaccurate. The damage has already been done. Everything from offensive chemistry to player development. The Steelers have no choice but to use his playbook for the rest of this season, because it’s too late in the season to do anything else. The Steelers offense has been decimated, and is beyond repair, mainly due to Canada’s inadequacies on every level. The Steelers are merely treading water until they hire an NFL caliber offensive coordinator. The rest of the offensive staff are left trying to make the best of a bad situation.
• That being said, the Steelers coaching staff has been inadequate this season, on both sides of the ball. The putrid offense is well documented, but the problems go much deeper. Player development has been lacking for years, especially at certain positions. It is unacceptable for the offensive line to be making preseason type mistakes and blown assignments at this point of the season. It’s also unacceptable for the Steelers receivers to put more effort into their drastic displays of pouting than in their route running. The defensive scheme is ultra conservative, especially all the soft zone concepts, that allows undrafted journeymen QBs to appear more than competent when playing the Steelers. Bottom line: the staff needs revamped and the majority replaced, because the “as is” isn’t working.
• Everything about the Steelers offense feels disjointed, from the play design to the personnel usage. The Steelers insist on throwing the ball behind the line of scrimmage to a receiver with little to no run after the catch ability. Even worse, they continue to attempt deep passes to said receiver, even though he lacks the size, speed, and leaping ability to excel in contested catch situations. All while they have a talented young receiver with all of those qualifications across the field begging and pleading for more opportunities to make a difference. When his crying falls on deaf ears, his effort level and attitude suffers. Truthfully, it makes no difference how much talent you have on the field if you have absolutely no idea how to utilize it correctly.
• Patriots HC Bill Belichick owns Mike Tomlin and the Steelers. In a battle of wits, it’s no contest. Belichick has all the answers, especially for the Steelers defense. He has dominated the Steelers defense for years, mainly by focusing on the weaknesses of their base 3-4. The Patriots have dominated the Steelers by exploiting mismatches created by their tight ends, and by relentlessly throwing the ball to a running back out of the backfield. These two areas have long been weak spots for the Steelers defense. Seldom utilized TE Hunter Henry had two touchdown receptions against the Steelers Thursday, on his birthday no less. Backup RB Ezekiel Elliott had seven crucial receptions during the game that helped keep the Patriots ahead of the chains. The more some things changes, the more they stay the same.
• The Patriots defense is organized, intelligent, and disciplined. These are all byproducts of superior coaching. This is a direct reflection of Belichick, a defensive minded genius. The Patriots lack a single superstar on defense, but the sum is obviously greater than their parts. The roster is full of versatile, interchangeable defenders that the evil genius utilizes to their full capabilities because of his strategic superiority.
• Speaking of superior strategists, Mike Tomlin is not. I am actually struggling to categorize this current version of our beloved head coach. Tomlin has universally been accepted as the ultimate player’s coach, which would seem to suggest the ideal balance between father figure and mentor. However, I feel recent seasons have tainted that image. Integral parts of that image are leadership and discipline. The Steelers have repeatedly stepped on the field totally unprepared and apparently unmotivated in what appeared to be winnable games in recent seasons. The Steelers roster lacks discipline and self awareness, reflected in their body language and behavior. We can continue to blame the immaturity of youth, but isn’t that what father figures are for?
• Lastly, I must mention the behavior of an extremely small segment of the fanbase. Miles Killebrew became emotional in a postgame interview as he admitted to receiving death threats after last week’s loss to the Cardinals. Killebrew, one of the best special team’s players in the NFL, uncharacteristically was penalized on three occasions against the Cardinals. Simply put, the dude had a bad day at the office. However, his effort level is beyond reproach. The young man consistently gives everything he has to give every time he puts on the Steelers uniform. He deserves our respect and admiration. There is absolutely no excuse for the type of idiotic behavior he experienced after the game. To that small segment of supposed fans, I say; Do better, be better, or go away.
• Please don’t despair, because things can get better eventually. As long as we all embrace the rebuilding process, starting with the Steelers organization. There really is no way to effectively cheat the process.